Photocopy letter addresser

Abstract

The apparatus moves a strip of names and addresses, one at a time, into alignment with the text body of a master letter and photocopies both together, usually on the users business stationery. The result is a composite photocopy of the text of the master letter with a separate name and address at the top. Each copy is a finished letter, on the users letterhead, addressed and ready to mail. A typical photocopy machine will produce about 700 letters per hour, each separately addressed.

HAVING THUS DESCRIBED MY INVENTION I CLAIM: 
     
       1. An apparatus for producing individually named and addressed letters using a fixed master letter and a strip of names and addresses with a hole in the margin of said strip of names and addresses opposite each name, in co-operation with a photocopy machine where the said fixed master letter has a hole in it which the said names strip will pass behind and an electrically charged contact pin is placed near the said hole where it is desired to have the names and addresses to appear on the finished combination photocopy,   and the said electrically charged contact pin together with a contact plate and a normally closed relay conducting power to a names strip advancing motor in combination with a means to advance the said names strip,   and a contacting push button conducting power when closed to the said names strip advancing motor and where,   pushing the said push button momentarily connects the power supply to the said names list advancing motor, causing the said names list to advance slightly, which causes the said hole to move away from the said charged contact pin, thereby breaking the electrical connection between the said electrically charged contact pin and the said contact plate, and allowing the said normally closed relay to close and conduct power to the said names list advancing motor,   causing the said names strip to advance until the said electrically charged contact pin falls through the next hole in the said names list, thus making contact with the said contact plate connected to the said normally closed relay, opening said relay which interrupts the power supply to the names list advancing motor and stoping the said names strip in the desired position   at which time the user makes a photocopy of the combination in the ordinary way and what is produced is a copy of his master letter text with one name and address from said names strip in his desired position.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to claim 1 and where there is a means to synchronize the movement of the list with the rest phase of the photocopy machine. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 2 and where the means to synchronize the movement of the names strip with the rest phase of the photocopy machine is a photoelectric cell in co-operation with a timed relay arranged so that when the photocopy machine light turns off power flows to the said timed relay, causing it to close and conduct power to the said names strip advancing motor and the time feature shortly thereafter opens the said relay so that the names list is advanced for a short time, moving the said names list hole away from the said electrically charged contact pin and repeating the above described cycle. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 3 and where there is a means to only produce letters with a selected group of names and addresses on them. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 4 and were the said means to produce letters from only a a selected group of names from the whole names strip list of names includes a plurality of holes in the said names list at several specific distances from the margin of said names list, and where all of one group have the names strip hole at one specific distance from the margin of said names strip list and all of another group of names have a hole at another specific distance from one the margin of said names strip,   and where the user by positioning the said electrically charged contact pin in such a position that it can only make contact through one of the sets of holes causes the above described apparatus to not stop at every name where the said names strip hole does not pass over the said electrically charged contact pin.